1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image conversion unit for converting an input image into an output image.
The invention further relates to an image processing apparatus comprising:
receiving means for receiving a signal corresponding to a sequence of input images; and
an image conversion unit for converting a first one of the input images into an output image.
The invention further relates to a method of converting an input image into an output image.
The invention further relates to a computer program product to be loaded by a computer arrangement, comprising instructions to convert an input image into an output image, the computer arrangement comprising processing means and a memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
Interlacing is the common video broadcast procedure for transmitting the odd or even numbered image lines alternately. De-interlacing attempts to restore the full vertical resolution, i.e., make odd and even lines available simultaneously for each image. For the conversion of interlaced video signals to progressively scanned signals, a variety of methods have been proposed over the last few decades. An introduction to de-interlacing can be found in the overview article “De-interlacing—An overview”, by Gerard de Haan and Erwin Bellers in the Proceeding of the IEEE (1998).
The algorithms that offer the highest image quality adapt the interpolation to the maximum correlation found in either the spatial dimension (edge-dependent interpolation), or in the temporal dimension (motion-compensated interpolation). The currently most advanced methods apply both motion compensation and directional adaptation. A disadvantage of these methods is that they are prone to motion vector and/or edge-orientation errors. As a consequence, serious artifacts might occur.